Another...

Turns one.




That's right, Friday the 8th, my little Alyssa turned the big 0-1. How has it already been a year? I don't get it, it couldn't be because we were having so much fun or anything!




I made cupcakes.




And a smash cake.




Decorated the living room.




And both doorways to the kitchen.




And didn't get a picture of the food table. Alyssa's birthday was much more relaxed than Amelia was, well for me anyway. Maybe it was because I was still in birthday mode. I don't host a lot of parties, I don't have a lot of reason to, but I do enjoy it.




Alyssa had a lot of fun. She got to be the center of attention and eat cake and see all her favorite people!




Well, she mostly just ate the frosting. Elliott gave her a spoon and she just scooped the frosting off.




After everyone left and after bath, Alyssa just couldn't handle it anymore and had a huge meltdown. She fell asleep promptly while I nursed her.




I cut my finger with an exacto knife the day of the party. I was making Alyssa's birthday shirt, it's something I do every year for my girls, and the exacto knife bit me. Have you ever been cut by one? It's not like being cut by a regular knife, you actually don't feel it until its too late, then there's blood everywhere by that point. But it healed quick because it was cut so cleanly.




I made Alyssa this little dolly for her birthday, it gets passed around between the girls then left in the living room on the floor for awhile and so on. I'm going to make one for Amelia too, hers is about half finished now.




Then the other day Alyssa was finally ready to sit in the wagon. I had fun pulling them because they cracked each other up the whole time.




And I hope you're having a fabulous Saint Patrick's day, we are despite the picture. Alyssa just didn't want to play photo shoot.




Sorry this wasn't a super exciting post, but here's an Irish Blessing to say bye for now.

May the road rise to meet you,
may the wind be ever at your back.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
and the rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
may God hold you in the palm of his hand.

Three Years

Three years. That's:
1095 days
26,280 hours
1,576,800 minutes
94,608,000 seconds

I did the math.
Three years ago yesterday, my little Amelia barged her way into the world. I was a due February 5, 2010, I was progressing but not enough and not having any contractions. We were going to set up an induction date of Monday the 8th but they were full and went ahead with my originally wanted induction date of the 11th, since it's my dad's birthdays. I was ready to be done with pregnancy and wanted my little girl out already. We were so sure she wasn't coming out on her own we went and had our taxes done on my due date. On the 10th my mom and I went shopping, I cooked dinner, and straightened up the house. The morning of my induction day at 530am I started having contractions. Got up, went to the bathroom, took my shower, still contracting. Every five minutes. If you know Amelia you know this is just like her, wanting to do it on her own when she knows your going to do it. We got the hospital with Elliott trying to make me feel better by making me laugh asking me what the ratio of Stanley nickels were to Schrute Bucks and I would have to reply, "same as the ratio of leprechauns to unicorns." (if your an Office fan you'll know what I'm talking about). We got to the hospital and into our room about 7am. Got my epidural pretty quick because I was in pain and already a 4-5cm. I slept most of the time and about 1230 was really hot and uncomfortable. My wonderful, amazing nurse Abby came in and checked me just as my doctor came in too. I was ready. They got everything set up and me in position to push. I'm not sure how long I was pushing but it wasn't long, less than 30 minutes, and my big headed stubborn Amelia was born at 144pm at 8.5 oz and 20 inches long, with bright red fuzz.


One of the three top favorite days of my life. Bet you can't guess the other two.


This little girl amazes me everyday and I love her more everyday too. I'm so proud I get to call her my daughter and he calls me her mommy.


We had a Lorax party for her on Sunday with all the family. It was so much fun. I made the cake, a Thneedville hillside with truffula trees. And a surprise inside.


Rainbow insides! I had a lot of fun doing her birthday this year.


We had truffula decorations.


Balloons.


And of course delicious food that Elliott and I made. He was such a great help with all of this, he did a majority of the cleaning and kept me calm through all of it.


And of course, who could forget the Lorax mustache cups. I know I can't.


It was all worth it when she saw it all and we surprised her and she ran and hid for twenty minutes. Alyssa ate up all the attention that Amelia wasn't getting. Alyssa thought it was all great fun and loved seeing all of her favorite people, walking around like crazy to any outstretched hands beckoning to her.


Then Monday we all crashed and just laid around. In the afternoon we went out and about and took the girls to eat at T-Rex Cafe . I don't have any pictures because Amelia was terrified of some of the dinosaurs despite the fact that she loves them. Then Alyssa had a meltdown. But we still had fun, and came home and put everyone to bed early! Thank goodness too, everyone was super tired.


What a happy birthday day had by all. Happy birthday little bear.

Please Welcome...

I'm sure a lot of you are wondering the same thing. Did she have that baby yet? Why yes, yes I have. :-)

At my 38 week doctor's appointment we talked about induction dates because though I was progressing roughly a cm a week I still wasn't having regular contractions. Then I told my doc I thought I was leaking fluid which launched a whole other thing and he said at my 36 week scan my fluid was borderline high and was worried about my water breaking randomly. So we set the date for March 8, at 7 in the morning. I was a little disappointed because I really wanted to go on my own because I was also induced a week late with Amelia, but not disappointed because I was going to meet my babe a week early!

Lovely right? We got to labor and delivery at 6:45am and the nurses told us they weren't ready for us yet and to wait in the waiting room. We got up there at 6:50 and waited. Waited. Two couples came in after us and went right in. Good thing I wasn't in labor. Then I called on the phone that gets you to the nurses' station and the night nurses didn't tell the day nurses we were out there. No biggie, this was going to be a great day! They got us set up in bed and got my IV going with pitocin (I was having contractions, but not regular) and my doctor came in and broke my water about 8ish. Joked with me about how he almost wore his leather jacket that I once dreamed he wore to one of my appointments, then everyone left us to our thing. 8 to about 10am was a breeze, then my contractions started getting way stronger and I was feeling them in my back and that's when I told Elliott I'd like my epidural. My nurse came in and ordered it for me.

The anesthesiologist came in and asked me some questions, one question was "how tall are you?" I told him 5'2, and that I married a tall guy so my kids would have a chance. Elliott is well over 6'2. He laughed and said his wife didn't get so lucky since he was on the shorter side. It was all a good time until the actual epidural part. With Amelia my epidural wasn't painful at all, with this one he had to reposition it once, so I had to get it twice. I had the most awful pain shoot down my right hip both times. It was a mix between metallic pain and pressure. It made me shake and I wanted to pull away so bad but sat still. The nurse made Elliott sit in front of me when what I really needed was for him to stand up so I could lean into him. Whatever, the nurse went from strange to batty to rude by the end, and I have no idea why.

After my epidural was finally in everything was numb from my belly down and everything was so itchy! But then I had a band on my lower belly where I could still feel each contraction. After rolling around and getting repositioned I was so tired and took a nap. About 12:30pm my nurse came in and asked how I was, I told her I felt some pressure but was still feeling really good. She said she would just check me real fast and from the impression I got she didn't expect me to be much further than the 3-4 cm I was before my epidural, especially since when she checked me she said, "I'll be damned, you're ready." Elliott then rushed out of the bathroom to be with me and text my mom who was watching Amelia for us that it was about time. The nurse set everything up before she called my doc and got me in the stirrups. I was so nauseous and I hate throwing up but Elliott came to my rescue with a cool wash cloth and ice chips which helped a ton! He was such a steady rock for me through all of this, just as he was with Amelia's birth.

The doc came in and said, "oh, look at all that hair. Looks like another red head." All I could do was laugh. With everything in place, the nurse telling me when to push (because I really could feel nothing) our little baby was out in five pushes.

Alyssa Jane was born at 1:12pm at 8 lbs even and 20 1/2 inches long. Her ears were slicked to the side of her head with a head full of red hair. Amelia was about 5-6 months old before she had that much hair. Who, if you were curious, was 8.5 lbs and 20 inches long at 40 weeks 6 days.

She has Elliott's ears, eyes, nose, chin, fingers, and toes and my legs. I was mostly just the carrier for this babe, but I'm alright with that. :-)

Birth is such an amazing experience, and though I wouldn't want to do it everyday I still enjoyed both of my experiences.

Amelia loves being a big sister and is always kissing Alyssa and asking to hold her. She is also a great binky holder/putter backer.

Daddy (who is Alyssa's twin for sure) is in love with his two little girls and has taken on a lot of the morning chores so mommy can sleep a little longer.

And mommy is in love too. Who knew you could love two just as much as you loved one? A heart knows no boundaries.

We all couldn't be happier. More rested yes, but we're all still smiling.

Quick Hello!

Hello! Hello! I can't believe it's been almost...well basically a month since I last posted anything at all. I apologize. To tell the truth I just haven't had the energy to post. I didn't have the energy to type on my little phone and try to get it just right, because it's become such a pain anymore. So, Elliott and I are seriously considering getting Internet at home, finally. Maybe getting rid of our iPhone too. But who knows, only time will tell. I'm over at Nana's house typing on her computer, it's funny how fast typing comes back to you after so long. The last time I was actually on a computer to type was two years ago. At one point in my life I was actually recorded at typing 95 words per minute. I'm sure it's considerably less now. Sorry, just a little ramble. I'm still waiting on baby AJ to make a debut, still very, very pregnant. Thankfully the swelling has staved off so far, well until today, I had a little bit of swelling in my feet.

SOO... My little Amelia turned two on the 11th. I cannot believe it's been two years since I held that little baby on my chest trying to sleep in the hospital. She's so big now and is talking nonstop. We actually had her birthday party on her birthday, which was exactly how I wanted it to be this year. Since next year it'll be on a Monday because of Leap Year. If AJ comes before the due date I hope it's not the 29th. There is just something about a Leap Year baby that freaks me out. Only 19 days to go! But I got Amelia's tutu from a lady I know through Facebook, her shop is called Ashley's Headbands & More and Amelia just loves her tutu! She wore it in Wal-mart yesterday and got so many compliments on the the tutu and about how cute she was.

Her birthday party was a blast and everyone we invited came! Which is always nice when you already plan for them to be there (foodwise). We had it at a little indoor gym place where the kids just run free and jump and swing and slide to their little hearts' content. Though after bites Amelia wanted to go back out. She was stopped by her presents though and was thrilled by all the gifts that she got.

We all had a blast, but we were all very happy to go home and have a little rest. We were going to take Amelia out again for dinner, but she really didn't want to go out again, and I don't blame her, it was nice to stay home that night. She got some really neat things too. Thank you to everyone who came (if you're reading this!), we're very happy that you could make it. Well, anyway, we have a birthday party to go to, Amelia's friend's birthday party, and I made Little M a quilt for her birthday and I actually got it pieced and quilted in two days. Now I just need to get the binding put on. And washed... It's going to be a later night, I was hoping to go to bed early, but that's ok. I also have three other quilts that I'm in the process of quilting and I can't wait  to share them all with you! So, now I have you caught up on some things, but just wanted you to know that I'm still baking a baby and hanging out with my Little Boatie. I hope you're all having a great week and I hope you have a happy weekend! Also, I can't wait to show you what Elliott has been working on this last week.

Until next time!

New Beginnings and Olden Tymes

Hello! Just thought I would share a picture of my gorgeous birthday flowers from my darling husband! A boquet of my favorite flowers, Gerbera daisies, which was also our wedding flower. Orange is my favorite color, by the way!

I hope you all had a great weekend! I know I did. Saturday flew by and I don't remember specifics, but Sunday was the greatest! First off, I want to tell you about Little A's new beginning..

She's been threatening to jump the crib rail for awhile now, and Friday I put her in her crib for a time out and this is what she did. I decided I didn't want a trip to the ER had she figured out how to get all the way out and not land it. It's so sad to see littles in casts for broken bones, and I didn't want Little A to be one of those kids. So while E was running errands, I began the transition. Halfway through though, I got hungry, so we took a break. It worked out that way though because I needed E's power tools to help us out, plus the extra set of toddler wrangling hands helped too. It didn't take all that long and Little A loved it immediately! Each night has progressively gotten better, and she hasn't gotten out of bed at night the last two nights after being put to bed! Woo-hoo! Go big girl! I'm proud! I think she likes it because she can get out of bed as soon as she's ready and doesn't have to wait on one of us. Not to mention my back feels so much better from not having to hoist her over the railing!

Isn't it cute? Well, it's not all that cute when she scares you because she sneaks up on you when you think she's asleep and you're fixing a snack in the kitchen. I think my heart has flipped a times this week. By the way...

This is Daisy Bear. Or Dai Dai as Little A calls her. She's actually named Daisy because of the Gerbera daisy. This is the beloved bear that cannot be missing come bedtime, naptime, cranky time, sick time. She is Little A's staple. And God forbid if mommy washes her before bedtime and doesn't have her dry before lights out. Ugh! What a night that was! I thought I would introduce her to you because I've been telling you about her for awhile. Can you tell? She's happy to meet you! I think it's adorable that her favorite cuddle friend should be a polar bear, because my favorite cuddle friend as a kid was a polar bear with a red cowboy hat. His name, Mr. Teddy Bear. Why not though, right? I still have him too.

And here is my new beginning! I love hair cut days! My last hair cut/style was November '10. Minus the trim my friend gave me, I haven't had anything done to my hair since then. It was ponytail styling all day, everyday! My hair is naturally curly (which after much prayer turned out to be passed to Little A too) and my hair lady, and very good friend of mine, temporarially straigthened it for me. E loves it straightened but I think it makes me look like a different person. Maybe that's the whole point!

It's a little wind blown today, but I love it! (And I look tired here, sorry!)

Anyway, on to Sunday! E took the day off from work so he could take Little A and I to the Kansas City Renaissance Festival. It's exactly what the name suggests, a little village dedicated to the Renaissance era. They have food, games, rides such as a dragon boat on ropes and the little riding swings all operated by the poor knaves who get suckered into it, and shops everywhere! Selling mostly handmade and always unique treasures. One guy was selling magic wands and zombie wands ("Made from real zombies," as he said). Once we come closer to Halloween, I'll tell you exactly why that is so funny and ironic for me. Pinky swear!

But this! Was the thing I will remember forever. Little A loves elephants, the real ones, no stuffed animals. I thought she would be scared because she's scared of those little motorized Barbie cars, but she loved it. The elephant was probably the sweetest one in history too! Little A reached out and wanted to touch her and I took her hand and gently rubbed her head with our hands. If you can see it in the picture, the elephant lifted her trunk and put it on her head, almost touching us, as if to say hi back! It brings a tear to my eye thinking back on it.

Little A didn't laugh or squeal, but she did enjoy it. I know I did! After we got off, I asked if we could pet her ear and the guy said we could. As we pet her ear she looked back at us and leaned in for some more lovin'! If we go back next year I'm certain she'll remember us if she's still there.

I have an affection toward elephants too. Just the real ones. When I was younger, my parents took me to a circus and having arrived early we got to see the elephants practicing their performance. I fed one of the elephants an apple slice before they went backstage. During the show, as the elephants were performing, the one I fed the apple to came over to me! He wouldn't leave either, they had to end the elephants' performance because of it. Aw, sorry, I just made you walk down memory lane with me twice this post!

Well, anyway, on the crafty home front, I haven't stopped the hexie train, but it has slowed down considerably. And the things I HAD to get done? Hahaha, still need to get them done! The most important thing has to get done before Saturday though, it's a birthday gift. Well, anyway, I've babbled enough for one day. I've been thinking though, I'm gong to do a special post later this week featuring all the projects I have in progress so I can show you just have craft ADHD I really am! I hope you all have a beautiful day!

Until next time!


Edited to Add: Jennifer, from the blog "It's Just Jennifer," is working two projects from a book called, "50 Sensational Crochet Afghans and Throws," and I've fallen in love with her projects and her variations of them! I began to grow jealous and wanted a copy of the book for myself! It was 60$ on amazon! And Barnes and Noble didn't have it either. I finally found it on a little known website, brand new, for no where near 60$. I'm very happy with the purchase! Now, I just wish it would get here already! Thanks for the inspiration, Jennifer!